News

Women’s Soccer Falls to Kalamazoo in Overtime, Still First in MIAA

Thursday, October 25, 2012

KALAMAZOO – The Calvin women’s soccer team battled Kalamazoo into overtime Thursday night at Kalamazoo’s Mackenzie Field. The Hornets were not to be denied on senior day, as senior Jackie Short scored her 16th goal of the season, defeating the Knights seven minutes into the first overtime.

Calvin started putting on the pressure early. The Knights earned three corner kicks on the first six minutes. Each resulted in a shot on net, but Hornet freshmen goalkeeper Lucy Mailing saved each one. Calvin freshmen Paige Capel (Hudsonville/Unity Christian) nearly broke the scoreless deadlock in the ninth minute. Junior Kelly Koets (Grandville/Calvin Christian) sent a through ball to Capel, who shot toward to the far post. Once again, Mailing was up to the task.

In the 35th minute, sophomore Elle Burman (Jension/Unity Christian) took a shot from an acute angle. The spinning shot caught up in the wind. Mailing tipped the ball over the crossbar. Calvin could not convert the corner kick into a goal, and the two teams went into halftime scoreless.

Calvin outshot Kalamazoo 9-5 in the first half. The Knights held an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks as well.

Kalamazoo had the wind to its back in the second half. The possession was much more even, although neither had any great scoring chances. The best chance of the half came for Calvin with two minutes to go in regulation. Koets got her head on a corner kick sent from freshmen Sydney Kinney (Ada/Grand Rapids Christian), and sent the shot just over the crossbar.

The overtime session began, and Calvin once again had the advantage in possession. Despite this advantage, the Knights could not put a shot on net. With Calvin pushing up, Kalamazoo countered. C.J. McCarthy sent a ball to Short at the top of the box. Short turned, giving her the smallest of spaces, and sent a low shot to the far post beating Calvin goalkeeper Ashton Hearn (Port Huron/Port Huron Northern).

“We didn’t put the ball in the net,” Calvin head coach Mark Recker said after the match. “We had our opportunities, but did not capitalize. We have to put this game behind us, and focus on Hope Saturday.”

Calvin still controls its destiny to win the MIAA regular season crown and earn the number one seed in the MIAA Tournament. Calvin has 31 points. Kalamazoo and Hope each have 29 points.
The matchup with Hope on Saturday is scheduled for a noon kickoff at Calvin’s Zuidema Field.